1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to a system and method for automatic conversion of units of measure in a wireless communication network. More specifically, the present invention is directed to conversion of units of measure in messages sent to a wireless communication device wherein the conversion is based on an identification of origin of the user of the wireless communication device.
2. Description of Related Art
Various measurement systems have been devised and used in various countries of the world. The predominate measurement systems are the English and the Metric systems. Because different countries use different ones of these measurement systems, it is sometimes difficult for travelers to understand information being provided to them.
Lack of immediate access to understandable measurement information to travelers has resulted in numerous mistakes and discomfort to foreign travelers around the world. For example, a traveler may not be prepared for the day's weather due to the lack of understanding of temperature measurement (Fahrenheit vs. Centigrade) of the local weather forecast or may be unable to follow directions based on problems converting between Metric and English distances.
Currently there are numerous devices for travelers that address these sorts of problems but they are not automatic and often require a traveler to carry yet another piece of hardware. A device which has not been well-utilized for this purpose is the cellular telephone. Currently, the only conversions available via a cellular telephone are via web-based lookup or manually-configured personal digital assistant (PDA) based applications for cellular telephones with integrated PDAs. These applications must be specifically invoked by the user of the cellular telephone and actively interfaced with to perform such conversions.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for automatically performing conversions of units of measure in a wireless communication network.